That’s Intriguing #1: How to Capture and Keep People’s Interest in Your Story

When viewers are transported by a movie, when they’ve entered an entirely new world and fully immersed themselves in its milieu, mood and characters, they’re in a sort of trance.

If at any point the director’s presence is felt – in a too-fancy shot, for example, or a showy piece of editing – the spell is broken.

But if the audience emerges from a movie collectively rubbing their eyes and asking where they just went – they’ve just been taken on a journey led by a good director.”

The goal of any communicator is to set up this journey of intrigued immersion in which people are completely focused on what you’re saying.

Riveting speakers know they’ve acheived this peak performance state of entrainment when audience members are on the edge-of-their-seats because they’re experiencing your story as if it’s happening right now. There is no distraction, coughing, fidgeting or checking of iPhones. Everyone is “one” with the story.

The goal of every writer is for readers to be so swept up by your material; hours can go by and they’re not even aware of the passage of time. You know you’ve succeeded in writing a page-turner when readers don’t want to put your book down. As Erica Jong says, “As a reader, I want a book to kidnap me into its world.”

Like to know how to set up this state of entrainment in which viewers, readers or listeners are totally focused on your story? Check out the last 7 chapters in POP!

The first 18 chapters in POP! are dedicated to GETTING people’s attention for what you care about – the last 7 chapters are dedicated to KEEPING people’s attention in what you care about.

As Harry Hirschfield said, “My job is to talk; your job is to listen. If you finish first, please let me know.”

If you want people to listen to your next communication, study those last 7 chapters in POP! so you know how to create a state of entrainment in which people are intrigued, immersed, and can’t wait to hear what you say next.